Overview: Part 1: Cold and Flu Season
Part 2: Boost & Defend (Immunity Maintenance)
To remedy colds and flu, don't neglect the basics!
1. Rest and sleep
2. LOW SUGAR
"As little as a gram of sugar can reduce immune function for up to 24 hours." Judith Boice, ND, LAc of Montrose, CO
3. Essential Oils
4. At the first sign of virus, take Echinacea. This boosts your immune system. Consumer Reports review gave it a thumbs up. Works well with Vit C and Zinc. This is best as a tincture or tea, 4x per day. Better tincture is Herb Pharm, widely available and through vitacost.com. There are many teas that are echinacea and green tea. Take regularly for a week or so until all symptoms are gone.
5. Let the fever do what nature intended
Fevers are Natural, Guidelines, Treatment
The fever is natural defense. I try to allow fevers as much as possible and monitor behavior/feeling which is more important than the thermometer, but lower the fever if it is getting high or at night in order to sleep.
6. When sick with mucous, avoid dairy products altogether.
7. Elderberry syrup - I believe this is anti-viral. The lady in the local health food store said something about using it against the "envelope viruses." I'm trying Nature's Answer this year (Sambucus)
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Comforts
Keep mucous membranes moist:
Humidifier / Vaporizers
For Fever and upper respiratory symptoms, the Wet Socks technique stimulates the immune system and draws blood away from the head, providing relief. Soak feet in water as hot as you can comfortably stand up to the ankles for 5-8 minutes until pink. Keep the rest of the body covered and warm. Dry the feet thoroughly and put on 100% cotton socks that have been soaked in very cold water and wrung out. Pull dry wool socks on over the wet socks and rest in bed with feet covered (with blanket) throughout the night. The Pocket Guide to Naturopathic Medicine (The Crossing Press)
Bath with epsom salt (magnesium which can absorb through the skin). Magnesium relaxes muscles and provides many immediate positive results. Good for sore muscles anytime.
Sore throat: Slippery Elm tea or lozenge.
Homeopathic. For Flu, best to have some ocillococcinum on hand. This is a homeopathic. However, Hyland's brand is less expensive, highly regarded and they do have a Flu formula. Take as directed for symptoms. It doesn't wipe out symptoms like regular pharmaceuticals does, rather it is supporting the natural fever and natural ways your body is responding. It helps you feel better.
Note that "aromatics" are not compatible with homeopathics.
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More Herbs
Herbs - good basic article about herbal remedies and specific to children
Peppermint tea is fine for babies +.
Green tea. Polyphenols damage bacteria's cell membranes and interfere with the ability of viruses to enter human cells. Natural Awakenings Dec 2007
Treatment of Colds: Homeopathic, Chinese Medicine, Echinacea, Windbreaker, Yin chiao jin junior
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Let Thy Food Be Thy Medicine
Fluids such as homemade broth you stored in your freezer, miso soup (I like Eden brand or any fermented miso paste)
Non-dairy really homemade hot-cocoa when you are sick. (Thanks, Jim). I make cocoa with coconut milk because the fats are anti-pathogenic.
Spices useful for treatment and general good health (Tumeric, Ginger, Cardamom, Black Pepper)
Pinapple and Papaya during colds (good for phlegm and click on Spices).
Chai Tea! My favorite in bags is Tazo Chai. I'm drinking a lot of this almost daily this winter, but I'm blending my own from bulk product.
For upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea: Ginger (safe for babies +). Also, chamomile tea.
-Ginger (root) tea, candied ginger root, ginger powder in capsules, etc.
For intestinal gas: cinnamon and cardamom
propolis?
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Investigate:
The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine http://nccam.nih.gov/
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3 comments:
Very informative and timely! Thank you Rachel!-- Yan
Have you ever tried a ginger bath for fever? You make the water as hot as you can stand it and add ginger to the water. Stay in as long as you can, 30 mins or more if possible. The idea is to raise the body temp to help kill the virus and sweat the fever out. I'm curious what you think of this approach.
As a healthy person, I would try it. I have taken baths when I am suspecting something coming on and wrap up in bed with lots of covers to sweat it out. As for treating fevers with more heat, I would have to seriously consider this and consult my herbalist friend on the idea of the ginger, and more specifically how to look at what KIND of fever it is. There are different herbs for different fevers and counter-indications to this method at certain times. Some fevers would be indicated by sweating, some are holding heat inside the body, which I think is more dangerous if it doesn't "break". I would be careful treating all fevers the same way. But, it would be good for us all to learn more about the different types.
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